Dry cell and process of reducing gaseous pressure therein



.useful Improvements. in

'sealed dry cells.

Patented lieb. 2li, ld.

, enirensrares savent assise.

anonce W. nurse, on nmnunsr, new Yoan, Assioma To Union casema e ou BON RESEARCH LABGRTOBIES, INC., A CORPORATIGN OF NEW YORK.

DRY CELL .AND PBOCES 0F REDUCING GASEOUS PRmSURE TEEBEHT.

application magasine so,

To all whomc't may concern.' y

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. Haier., a citizen of the United States, residin l at Elmhurst, in the county o Queens and` tate of New York, have invented' certain new and i Dry Cells and Processes of Reducing- Gaseous Pressure Therein, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to the production of sub-atmospheric pressure in hermetically The vgeneral objects of the 1 invention are to guard against the destructive eects of gas accumulation in such cells during 'their storage or shelf-lifeperiod, and to provide an lmproved deferred action cell partially evacuated to secure rapid entrance of activating liquid. l i

lt is generally accepted that the preserv ice deterioration of dry cells is due in large part to loss oi moisture and access ofo'xygen to the surface ci the zinc', de olarizing and accelerating localraction; 4ei'eto\ore,' however, it has not been regarded as practicable to prevent this deterioration by providing a hermetic seal on dry cells of standard construction and reagent composition,

1 because oh the disruptive eect of pressure produced by gases generated within the cell. In order to avoid evaporation, zinc corrosion and other detrimental'actions due to the presence o electrol e solution in stored cells liavir-.g the. usua non-hermetic pitch..

seal, a number 3f-constructions have been by introduction ol ldiilunilty experienced cells, as will devised invvhich the cell contains only dry ingredients and' is adapted to be activated l t water or electrolyte so-. lutio'n when desired for service. A. common with these cells is the slowness with which the activating liquid permeates the excitant paste and mix.

ln accordance with my invention, the defects above referred to are avoided by the v reduction ol' pressure in hermetically sealed be more fully 4explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which c n Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section through a llormetically sealed cell,

Fie. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the; sealing means,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through a cell ci the deferred action type, and l of alcohol at suchincreased pressure.

`ous other Asubstances mi. semi nu. esima Fig. @bis atop plan view of the cell shown 1n F1 3, the sealing ca being removed.-

Re erence numera l enotes azinc-container, 2 a lining of bibulous material and 3 a mix bobbin containing avcarbon rod 4.

The zinc container has a marginal depresa cross section corresponding to that of the container l. The cap and container, pl

with their margins in abutting relation, are secured together by means of a band 8 overlying their junction. The band 8 may be attached in any manner which Will give a secure and air-tight joint, as, for example, by soldering' it to both-the cap andcon tainer'. A tongue 9 is provided on the band 8 and is adapted to be passed through an opening 10 in key 1l. When it lis desired to remove the hermetic sealing cap 7, the. band may be severed by engaging the tongue in the key and rotating the latter to tear the metal along the lines of the sides of the tongue extended, in a- Well known manner. A'clip 12 may be provided on the top of cap -7 or eleswhere on the cell, for holding the key in handy position.

The cap 7 is' partially evacuated and forms anexpansion chamber of sufficient size .to receive all the gas normally evolved, without undue rise of pressure. A suitable method of securin a reduced pressure in the ca is by intro ucing a small amount of alcoho through an opening 13, heating to displace the air by alcohol vapor, and sealing the opening. On cooling, a part of the alcohol liqueties and most of that remaining in the vapor phasev condenses when the partial pressure of *evolved gases increases, due to the diminished vapor tension Varil volatile at temperatures detri- S not injurious to the cell, and having no mental effect on its service capacity, such ether and carbon tetrachlord, may be substituted for alcohol. When an inflammable mns.

within the outline astio seal 6 of the- (lll atmosphere, Will be substance is used to displace the air, it may be ignited at the opening 13 and allowed to burn out so far as possible. Any suitable means may be used to protect the seal from the solvent action of the volatile material, when such protection is necesssary.

A reduction of pressure may also be obtained by the use of ammonia or other substances which will react with a constituent of the cell, as described and claimed@ in my copending application Ser. No. 481,715 filed June 30, 1921. The desired result may also be obtained` by placing an imperforate cap upon the cell, heating, and sealing' While the air within thecell is expanded. Or the cap .may be sealed on, heated to displace a. portion of the air through the opening 13, and the opening then sealed. The temperature to which the cell is subjected` during this treatment should not greatly exceed C.4

Suction and various other expedients for securing a partial vacuum may be adopted.

When the cell is to'be put in service, the sealing cap will Vbe disconnected as described. The service characteristics of cells so protected from the deleterious eii'ects of loss of moisture, access of oxygen, or other causes due to incomplete isolation from the found substantially equal to those of freshly prepared cells.

ln Figs. 3 and l is'illustrated a hermetically sealed cell of the general type of that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but adapted for liquid activation. My invention is not lim'- ited to any particular arrangement for admitting liquid, and it is for purposes of description only that l show a carbon elec- Vtrode 14 with an axial perforation 15, opening into spaced branch conduits 16. The mix bobbin 17 is preferably encased in a cloth Wrapper 18. A pulpboard spacer 19 at the 'base of the cell centers the bobbin. A dry pasteforming material 2O of anyA suitable type', preferably containing electrolyte salts, is placed in the annular space 21. The cap is sealed on the cell in the manner previously described.

Sub-atmospheric pressure may be obtained in cells of this kind by the condensation of a vapor. A small quantity of a volatile material, such as ether or alcohol, is placed in the bottom of the cell. The perforated cap is sealed on and the cell dipped in hot Water or otherwise subjected to heat sufficient to volatilize the material. lisplaced air and, excess vapor escape through the perforation 13, which is then sealed. Cells of this type may be subjected without injury to temperatures considerably higher than may those containing moist excitant paste. A similar result can be obtained by applying suction at 13 and sealing under reduced pressure.

A pressure considerably below atmospheric can be obtained by the condensation on cooling of vapors of alcohol, ether, or the like, supplied as just described. Activation is greatly facilitated by this partiall evacuatedcondition. When the cell is to e made ready for use, it is immersed in Water or electrolyte solution and the sealing cap is perforated or removed. The liquid enters through the hollow carbon electrode and rapidly diffuses throughout the mix and paste-forming material, puttin0r the cell substantially immediately in con ition to 've a voltage and amperage equal to the est freshly prepared cells.

Another method of securing rapid activation is to fill the cell with a Water-soluble gas. Dry hydrochloric acid or dry am monia are suitable for this use. The gas may -be introduced into the cell after the air has been withdrawn by suction, or a current of ammonia or hydrochloric acid may be used to displace the air, suitable inlet and outlet openings being provided in the cell. The latter procedure has the adn vantage of avoiding Work at reduced pressure. When the atmosphere of the cell consists essentially of the gas, the openings are sealed.

Deferred action cells charged with water soluble gas may be activated by immersing in water and breaking the seal, as previously described. As the gas instantaneously con denses by beine dissolved in the water entering the cel ,V a partial vacuum is roduced, and the mix and aste are rapidly ermeated by the liquid'. ry ammonia and ry hydrochloric acid are substantially inert While sealed within the cell and their presence is not vobjectionable after activa; tion.

A number of liquids and gases are known which would not be injurious to dry cells and which have physical properties enabling them to be used as pressure reducing agents in the manner described. The invention is accordingly not limited to the compounds specifically mentioned. Various modifications of the cell structure and sealin means may also be made without exceeding the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hermetically sealed dry cell in which the pressure is sub-atmospheric.

2. A hermetically sealed dry cell in which the pressure is sub-atmospheric, such pressure being produced chiefly by a readily condensible vapor.

3. A dry cell having .a partially evacun ated sealing cap.

4. A dry cell having a sealing cap containing a readily condensible vapor in amount sulicient to materially diminish the pressure in the cap upon condensation.

5. VA dry cell having an expansion chamber in which the pressure is initially less mesme A than atmospheric, said .l chamber being cell, comprising displacing air with a read-l adapted to receive gases evolved in the cell. vily volatile substance, sealing at elevate 6. Al hernetically sealed dry cell fof the temperature, and cooling to condense a subdeferred action type in which the pressure stantial portion of the volatile substance. is sub-atmospheric. 11. The process of preparing a dry cell 7. A vhermetically sealed dry cell of the of the deferred action type for rapid* activadeferred action Vtype containing a readily tion by addition of liquid, comprising procondensible aeriform fluid in amount suiliducing 4sub-atmospl'ieric pressure therein. cient to materially diminish the pressure in 12, rlhe process of preparing a dry cell 10 the cell upon condensation. of the deferred action type for rapid activa- 8. A hermetically-'fealed dry cell of the tion by addition of liquid, and activating deferred action type in which the aeriform the same when vdesired for use, comprising contents vconsists v,mainly of a readily conf producing sub-atmospheric pressure there densible vapor. in, hermetically sealing the cell, immersing l 9. A hermetically sealed. dry cell of the in liquid, and breaking the seal to permit deferred action type in which the pressure the Vliquid to* enter and permeate throughis sub1-atmospheric, such pressure being proout the cell.

duced by the vapor of alcohol. l In testimony whereof, I affix my signa,-

10. The'process of reducing the gaseous ture. 20 pressure withina hermetically sealed dry. GEORGE W. REISE. 

